Working With Kesha//True Colors

Friday, April 29, 2016

I first met Kesha on the set of her music video for We R Who We R back on November 1st, 2010. It was a two night shoot and I had driven down from the bay area when I got the call asking me to do the video. I checked into the Beverly Hilton around 4 PM and had a make-up artist/hair stylist at the hotel doing my hair and make-up by 5. I arrived on set around 8 PM the first night and was there until about 8 AM the next day. That first day I only saw Kesha for a few minutes since we were shooting different scenes. The next night we worked the same hours. We started off on the roof top of a sky scraper in downtown LA. I remember Kesha calling me a hottie and making small talk between takes. As soon as the cameras were rolling, she was on. Watching her work was like watching a famous artist paint and a masterpiece. I hadn't listened to much of her music before this point, aside from Tik Tok and Blah Blah Blah. When we were back on the ground is when I saw a different side of Kesha. She was attached to wires and standing a couple steps up on a ladder, she was going to lean back and a group of people were supposed to "catch her" and hold her up. She stood on the ladder and her knees were shaking. She admitted that she was terrified. Kesha terrified? I was actually quite shocked. Lucky for her, she has a stunt double that did the fall from the top of the roof. I extended my arm and let her hold on to my hand. It's in that moment that I realized that even though Kesha looks tough and confident, she's human too. We danced that night until the sun came up and my hips hurt so much that I had to ice them afterwards. We sipped on TANG between scenes and were harassed by hoards paparazzi trying to get as much information as possible from girls that just weren't having it. I realized how often Kesha has to deal with people being rude and inappropriate if they didn't immediately get what they wanted from her.

I had the pleasure of working with Kesha again a few months later. The more moments I spent around her, the more I admired her as a person. Kesha put up with so much crap - mainly from the men in the business. When news came out that she was suing Dr. Luke and Sony and wanted out her contract, I was relieved. I had worked and spent time around a lot of male pop stars and none of them had to put up with the same things I had seen her put up with. When I heard about the abuse, I instantly knew that it was the truth. One thing I learned about Kesha is that she wouldn't start drama for no reason. Kesha is supportive of everyone, she loves her friends, her family, animals. The one person she had been neglecting for so long was herself. Yes, Kesha is a fun personality, but she's also not someone to BS. When I heard about the things Dr. Luke had said to her, I felt a pit in my stomach. I could hear the words coming out of the devil's mouth. I followed the case and frequently let my feelings be heard on social media. Why are women always told to come forward about rape and abuse, but are then shut down and called liars when they do? I was disgusted by everything that came out of the judge's mouth. It wasn't just a slap in the face to Kesha, but to all women.

Sony agreed to let Kesha work with other producers, but Luke still had complete control over what she could release and still would make a majority of the money off anything that she put out. Even if she didn't have to work in the studio with him, she would still have to work with him in some capacity and would not have her music promoted.

I am so grateful to Zedd for stepping up and giving Kesha her voice back. It is amazing to see people stand up and support Kesha for speaking the truth. Very few male musicians and producers commented on the situation, so it speaks volumes that not only did Zedd comment but he also took action. THANK YOU! I urge everyone to go to the iTunes store and purchase True Colors. It's time to show Sony that Kesha is more than just a party girl doll molded by Dr. Luke. Kesha is a human with a voice that the world wants to hear.